Valve operating structure



M y A. G. BLANCHARD VALVE OPERATING STRUCTURE Original Filed Oct. 14, 1935 Patented May 7, 1940 2,199,611 I e I VALYEZOPERATING STRUCTURE Alva G. Blanchardyshreveport, La. I Original application'october 14, 1935, Serial No.

PATENT OFFICE 88. Divided and this application .May 28, I 1938, SBlial N ,210. 5 r v 51 Claims. (01. 137-104) .The invention relates to the structure of a valve operating device. 1

While the device is capable of general application I have illustrated it particularly in connection with the operation of valves in outlets from steam boilers. It issometimes desirable to provide a'jplurality of steam outlets from the boiler through which steam may be directed to operate regulators, fuel or water valves, and the like. Such a construction is usually operated in response to the level of the water in the boiler and my device is so illustrated. r I a It is an object of the present invention to. provide means in connection with a single lever to 3 operate a plurality of valves at difierent stages relative to the height of the water in the boiler.

It is desired that the valves be opened in a predetermined sequence so that the steam may be allowed to pass through one line first and 2 then through other lines in a predetermined sequence.

The invention also involves a structure which is strong and compact and easily assembled in position.

25 The invention further involves the structure of the valve operating means through which the valve operating pin is held in positionwith a minimum amount of labor and expense.

The invention will be better understood in connection with the description of the drawing herewith in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a valve assembly shown as connected with the float operated lever.

36 Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the assembly disclosed in Fig. 1, the float being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a transverse detail of the yoke showing the manner in which the valve operating pin is secured in position.

m Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the manner in which the pin may be removed when desired.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 44,988, filed October 14, 1935, for Safety appliance for boilers.

In carrying out my invention I contemplate forming in the wall I of the steam boiler an opening 2 formed to receive a collar 3 adapted to be welded in position in said opening, as shown 50 at 4. The collar 3 is threaded at its outer end at 5 to receive a plug 6.

The plug 6 is formed to screw within the opening in the collar 3 and to provide outlets therethrough for the steam from the boiler.

There may be two or more of these openings and in the present embodiment I have shown three outlet-passages throughthe plug, said outlets I, 8 and 9 having at-their outer ends steam conducting pipes, I0, and I2, respectively. It will be understood that said pipes may conduct th "a steam to any'steam operated device. v At the inner-ends 'of the passages I, 8 and 9; are inserted valve seats I3. Each valve seat is adapted to cooperate with an adjacent valve,

the valves I4, ,-I5- and ,I6 cooperating with the outlets I, 8' and 9, respectively. Each valve has 'a, rearwardly extending valve stem I? with an opening therein'to receive a cross pin I8 mounted within ayoke I9 on the valve operatin lever 20.

In order that the valves may be operated in a 5'':

predetermined. sequence the openings through whichthe cross pin I8 passes are of different lengths in the diiferent .valve stems. I have shown the stem of the valve I6 as providing a close fit about the pin I8. In the stem of the m valve I5, however, the opening is elongated, as shown at 2|, and the opening in the stem of the valve I4 is elongated still more, as shown at 22.

It will be obvious from this construction that when the lever is operated to move the valves the valve I6 will be moved first and at a predetermined interval thereafter-the valve I5 will be opened and at a still later interval the valve I 4 will open.

The lever which is employed to operate the em I valves has at its end adjacent the valve a yoke 23. The lower end of the yoke engages with a pivot pin 24 which forms a fulcrum for the lever and allows the swinging of the lever in a vertical plane. At a point above the fulcrum 24 the 3 cross pin 25 is mounted so as to engage through the openings in the valve stem as previously described. Between adjacent stems I provide spacers 26 which assist in maintaining the valves spaced equally along the pin I8. 0 With reference to Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown how the pin I8 may be secured in position in the yoke of the lever with a minimum consumption of time and labor. The yoke I9 is formed with an opening 21 at one side and on the opposite side a there is a recess 28 which extends only partway through the wall of the yoke. At the end of the recess, however, there is a small opening 29 through which a punch 30 may be inserted to drive the pin from its mounting. In order to hold the pin in position with one end in the recess 28 I upset the metal about the opening 2! with a chisel or other instrument 3I so that it will prevent longitudinal movement of the pin from its seat. It will be obvious, however, thatthis upset projection shown at 32 may be driven from its position holding the pin in place by the punch 30 when it is .desired to remove the pin.

The lever 20 is operated by a float 33 in the present embodiment, said float having a pivotal connection at 34 with the end of the lever.

In the operation of my device it will be obvious that the valves will be opened in responseto predetermined levels of the Water in the boiler. When the water is above a certain level all of the valves will be closed, but as the level is depressed first one will open and then the next, and finally the third. It will be seen, however, that if the level of the water is not lowered beyond a certain point all of the valves need not open, but each valve will open when the proper level of the float in the boiler is reached.

My invention is exceedingly simple. It will be obvious that the plug 6, upon which the valve structure is mounted, is one unitary device and that the removal of the plug will allow access to all of the valves in an obvious manner. The device is simple and strong in construction and will not easily get out of order or fail to function.

I claim:

1. A housing, a plurality of outlet passages through said housing, a valve in each of said passages, said valves having slots of varying lengths in one end to determine the order in which they are opened, a pin through said slots operated by a lever fulcrumed within said housing, a float on the end of said lever, whereby said valves are opened one at a time in sequence, responsive to the downward movement of said float.

2. A housing having an opening, a plug in said opening, a plurality of outlet passages through said plug, a valve in each of said passages, a valve operating lever fulcrumed on said plug and extending into said housing, a float on the inner end of said lever, a cross pin on said lever, stems on said valves having openings therein to receive said cross pin, said valve stem openings being of varying length, whereby the downward move- 5 ment of said lever will cause said pin to engage said valve stems to open said valves in sequence, one after the other.

3. A housing having an opening, a plug in said opening, a plurality of outlet passages through 10 said plug, a valve in each of said passages, a valve operating lever fulcrumed on said plug and extending into said housing, a float on the inner end of said lever, a yoke on said lever, a cross pin in said yoke, stems on said valves having slotted lb openings therein to receive said cross pin, the openings in each stem being of a length different fromthat of the others, whereby said valves are timed to be opened by said lever arm in a predetermined order.

4. A plug adapted to close a fluid outlet and having a plurality of fluid passages therethrough, a valve in each of said passages, a float operated lever fulcrumed upon said plug, a yoke on said lever, a cross pin on said yoke, valve stems on said valves with slotted openings therein to be engagedby said pin, said openings being of different lengths for the purpose described.

5. A plug adapted to close a fluid outlet and having a plurality of fluid passages therethrough, a valve in each of said passages, a float operated lever fulcrumed upon said plug, a pin carried by said lever, stems on said valves having openings therein through which said pin extends, the opening in each stem being of difierent length i from the others and means to secure said pin in said lever.

ALVA G. BLANCHARD. 

